Review: Edifier’s R1010BT Speakers Are Inexpensive But Unimpressive

Edifier are an audio brand that’s been around the Australian market for a fair while but never really struck a chord with local audiences.

With their latest R1010BT bookshelf speakers, the company are looking to correct that course. Nevertheless, the pitch here isn’t all that different to what the company have run with in the past.

These speakers look good, sound good and don’t hit your wallet for more than $100. That’s kind of all there is to it. A simple and clean sell like that can sometimes be just the thing you want. However, it doesn’t really make for a cohesive argument as to why you should choose these $100 speakers over any other.

In fairness, the R1010BT speakers do deliver – more or less – exactly what they promise to. If you’re looking for a speaker to sit on your shelf gathering dust until you need it, these will absolutely do the trick. You can wire them up, turn them on and hear the music play with minimal fuss.

Unfortunately, unless you’re particularly attached to faux-wood aesthetic, there are plenty of other speakers out there which offer superior sound for not that much more.

Building on the design of the R1000TCN speakers, the most-immediate point-of-difference the R1010BT has to offer comes in color. Where the cone on the former was a deep silver, the new speaker features a bright yellow. If it’s not to your liking, this brightness can easily be obfuscated with the speaker’s detachable foam enclosure.

Edifier’s latest comes with support for content via Bluetooth, RCA or 3.5mm AUX cable but no support for any sort of streaming services or smart apps. A built-in amplifier gives gives the speaker some punch – but the quality of the sound often felt like it got muddied up in the process.

The R1010BT is by no means the worst-sounding speaker out there. It sounds pretty much how you’d expect a $99 speaker to sound. It does what it says on the tin but don’t expect it hold its ground against much of the competition.

Conclusion

If you’re absolutely aching for a set of bookshelf speakers and don’t mind opting for a cheap fix that might need to be replaced later down the line, go for it.

Otherwise, it’s difficult to get too excited about the tune Edifier are playing here.

The R1010BT speakers are available now through Scorptec, PLE, Wireless 1 and mWave at an RRP of $99.95.